Michigan offers voters options for straight, split and mixed ticket voting

Michigan law allows voters to vote “straight ticket” in a general election, which means voters may fill in one rectangle or box next to a party name to cast a vote for every candidate of that political party.

Michigan also allows for voters to select the straight party option but then cast votes for individual candidates of a different party (“split ticket”).

• In the November Election, voters have the following options: “Straight Ticket” Voting: Voters may vote in the straight party race and select the party of their choosing - this will award votes up to the maximum allowed (and maximum candidates available) for each partisan race for the voter’s chosen party. The candidates receive “indirect votes” based on the voter’s single straight-party ballot selection.

• “Split Ticket” Voting: Voters may vote in the straight party race and select the party of their choosing, but then vote directly in an individual race (or multiple individual races) by directly voting for a candidate from a different party, voting for a candidate with no party affiliation, or casting a write-in vote. As with straight ticket voting, voting in the straight party race will indirectly cast a vote for all candidates running under that party to the maximum allowed for each race in which the party is participating, except where the voter overrides an indirect vote by a casting direct vote for a candidate of a different party, a candidate with no party affiliation, or a write-in vote.

• “Mixed Ticket” Voting: Voters may decline to vote in the straight party race and directly select candidates of their choice from any party (or no party affiliation and write-ins) up to the maximum allowed for each race.

Other Notes: If a voter selects the “straight party” race but then votes for individual candidates of the same party, the vote for those individual candidates will still count, and will only count once. If a voter wishes to vote for a write-in candidate (whether or not they select the straight party option), the voter must fill out the rectangle for write-in candidate and write the name or it will be an invalid write-in and will not be counted.